Cleanse
by kurai-tsubasa
Summary: The rain gives everything a new start........There was no sun that day.Random SasuNaru oneshot how things aren't always what you might assume, and how everything can have another chance, given the right circumstances......slight flangst


Tsubasa: I honestly don't know where this came from, but for once, it wasn't written during my history class!

Firefly: No, it was written on an airplane and up against an airport wall. Why can't you ever write in normal places?

Tsubasa: Hey, no one forced you to inspire me during the trip. You could've followed pattern, but noooo.

Firefly/grumbles/ Just get on with it

Tsubasa: Here today, in honor of my re-embracing my SasuNaru fangirl-ness is Neji to do the disclaimer!

Neji: Why am I here again?

Tsubasa: Because Sasuke and Naruto areoff elsewhere by themselves, and Itachi is...occupied/shifty eyes/.

Neji/sighs/ Fine. Kurai doesn't own anything except the plot of this inane story, and two plushies that only slightly resemble anything I'd call Naruto or Sasuke. oh, and a sack of coins, but it's mine now.

Tsubasa/glares/ oh well, on with the fic!

_hikari ga umare yami ga umareta  
futatsu ha hitotsu  
harmonia_

_The light was born, and darkness was born  
The two are one  
Harmony_

The rain fell in heavy sheets, obscuring everything from view. Mixed with the steam rising from the ground, the summer flash storm provided the perfect cover for the shinobi taking shelter from the storm in the branches of a tree. Sasuke actually rather liked the rain – the grey color the sky turned when a storm was approaching; the sounds the rain made when it feel on the forests surrounding Konoha; the feeling that everything got a fresh start after the rain. Except him. He was a traitor to the village and could never be forgiven. It wasn't the villager's forgiveness he would never receive, it was his own. He had betrayed all of his friends for a chance at power, only to realize that Orochimaru could never give him the true power he craved. When the shinobi from all the other villages executed an ambush on Otogakure, he stood back and watched as Orochimaru was killed by combined ANBU squads from the villages, and had only nodded and complied when the Konoha shinobi took him back for questioning. When he had been released, his former friends were waiting for him. Neji and Shikamaru, now ANBU members, had stood stoically behind their masks, as Sakura had flung her arms around him, crying out happily, Ino had thrust a bouquet of flowers into his arms, and Kiba and Chouji had grinned and clapped him on the back. Lee had burst into ears, proclaiming it was the power of youth that had brought Sasuke back safely. Hinata had smiled and softly said how she was happy he had returned. Everyone had been there, even Kakashi and Iruka. Everyone except one, that is. Sasuke's welcoming party had not included a loud blond who would have just glared at Sasuke with his arms crossed and growled out, "oi, teme, took ya long enough," before receiving a smack to the back of his head, courtesy of either Ino or Sakura. No, there had been so sun shining that day, and Sasuke could not bring himself to ask where Naruto was. He had kept silent, letting thoughts of what the blond could be doing roll around in his head.

That had been five months ago; everything had returned to relative normalcy after Orochimaru's defeat, and Sasuke had fallen into a relatively comfortable patter of life as a Chuunin. He still hadn't seen Naruto, aside from brief flashes of his trademark orange and black jumpsuit or his bright yellow hair disappearing around a corner. Then, two days ago, Tsunade had assigned them both to the same mission. The fleeting bubble of happiness Sasuke felt at finally being able to talk to his former best friend was popped when he saw Naruto's face upon his arrival at the meeting place that morning- a mix of surprise and despair. What could have happened in his absence to cause Naruto to look at him like that? Sasuke flushed slightly at his thoughts and yelled, "Are you going to do anything besides just standing there, dobe?"

Naruto looked up sharply. "Don't call me dobe, teme!"

He launched himself at Sasuke, taking the darker shinobi by surprise. Naruto landed a punch before Sasuke snapped out of his stupor and started blocking Naruto's attacks. Both had grown stronger over the years, but still fell into their familiar sparring patter. A rhythm of kicks, blocks, and cries developed as the two continued to spar, and what had started as a sparring match developed into and intricate dance between the two shinobi. The dance continued until Naruto faltered, causing Sasuke to look at him and start in surprise. Tears streamed from Naruto's sky blue eyes, down over his whisker scars, and dripped off his chin. Sasuke stopped and stepped back, a look of total surprise on his face. He stood like that for about a minute, before Naruto launched himself at Sasuke again, this time not to attack, but to throw his arms around the other boy, and sob into his shirt. Sasuke stood, stunned, for a moment, before gathering Naruto to him and letting him cry. After a while in each other's arms, Naruto stepped back and sniffled, rubbing his face on his sleeve.

Sasuke grinned, the first real smile he had shown since before he had leftfor Orochimaru's place. "I take it this means you don't hate me." He said lightly, a serious question made into a joke to lessen the jarring hurt he would feel if the answer was negative.

The look of panic that flashed in Naruto's eyes before he grinned and replied cheerily, "of course not! How could I hate my best friend?" did not escape Sasuke's gaze.

Then, the blond's eyes started to tear up again. "It's just that you left. You left me, you left Sakura, you left everyone. You left and I had no way of knowing if you were okay, or if that snake-bastard had killed you. I went through hell worrying about you, and then you just show up again, unharmed, and I couldn't take it.

"I had all but given up that I'd ever see you again, and then there you were. I had just started to adjust to life without you, and then you come back."

The water eyes had advanced into half sobs, but Naruto continued. "Everything you do screws with my emotions, and I can't figure anything out anymore. Only one thing really is clear now- you're my most important person, and I don't want to, no, can't, imagine a life without you in it somehow. I like you, Sasuke. I really like you. I even think I love you.(1) Hate me if you will, but don't leave me again; I couldn't take the pain of losing you again." Face flushed from speaking so quickly and passionately, and still crying, Naruto turned away and bounded through the trees. It had started raining at some point during their encounter, so Sasuke was soaked, not to mention confused, which brought him to where he was now- sitting in a tree, in the middle of a storm, trying to sort things out, and feeling like he'd never forgive himself for hurting Naruto like that. He was currently feeling a mess of emotions- guilt at causing Naruto so much painby leaving in the interest of his own selfishness, only to gain nothing tangible; happiness at knowing Naruto didn't hate him; and hatred at himself for leaving in the first place. And then confusion surfaced as Naruto's tear-streaked face surfaced in his mind. His heart had clenched during Naruto's confession, but what did he feel? He didn't want to cause Naruto any more pain; wanted to see Naruto's warm smile directed at him. He realized that he wanted to be at Naruto's side too, as a friend, and possibly as something more. He grinned at the thought of Naruto's smile when he told him that he wasn't going anywhere without him, and wanted to be his side always.

"You're smiling. I suppose that's a good sign."

Sasuke spun around, looking for the voice, and seeing no one, looked up above him to see Naruto sitting on the branch above him. Naruto jumped down to Sasuke's branch and squatted in front of him. Sasuke was suddenly reminded of a similar position that first day of genin classes. He blushed slightly, remembering what had happened because of it. It seemed so long ago; he barely remembered the child he had been. Naruto had noticed the blush and leaned in close.

"Oi, Sasuke, what's the blush for?" Naruto asked innocently.

"This." Sasuke closed the distance between them and softly pressed his lips to Naruto's. It was a chaste kiss, and it ended shortly, but both boys put their feelings behind it, and both boys pulled back with a smile on his face.

"Does this mean you're not going to be leaving me now?" Naruto asked, a simple smile on his face.

Sasuke grinned as he hit Naruto lightly on the head. "Of course, dobe. I want to stay by you as long as you'll let me."

"Which'll be forever!" Naruto cried gleefully, glomping Sasuke and almost causing them both to fall to the forest floor below them.

"Hey, the rain's stopping. And look, a rainbow!" Naruto pointed to a rainbow that extended over Konoha and seemingly ended at Hokage Mountain. "It's a full rainbow! Look, Sasuke!"

"Baka, if it were a full rainbow, it would be a circle. Think about it." The blond shinobi pondered this for a second.

"Well, it's a full rainbow even if we can only see half of it. So there!" Naruto stuck out his tongue at Sasuke, only to yelp and open his eyes in shock when Sasuke kissed it. Sasuke drew Naruto to him and kissed him soundly. Naruto whimpered slightly at the sudden contact, but it turned to a moan as Sasuke's tongue sought entrance into his own mouth. As mouths opened, a battle for dominance began. Hands wrapped around the backs of necks and tangled themselves in hair to get a better grasp, caressed necks and faces, clutched at shoulders, and traveled steadily southward. Sasuke tore his mouth away from Naruto's, but before the blond's whimper at the loss of contact could leave his throat, it was changed into a half-gasp, half-moan as Sasuke drew Naruto's earlobe through his teeth. Naruto's hands clenched tighter on Sasuke's shoulders as the darker shinobi elicited sound after sound from the blond. Hands and mouths slipped lower as the two became lost in each other. Naruto began to lie back against the tree branch, forcing Sasuke to press himself more deeply into Naruto to avoid losing the sweet contact they both craved.

The sounds of their half-whispered names and moans were joined by another sound- that of the tree branch starting to buckle under the weight of the two shinobi. Crackling sounds became snapping sounds, and the two boys were dumped rather unceremoniously on the forest floor. Surprised to suddenly find themselves on the ground, both laughed. Sasuke got up first, and extended a hand down to Naruto, who was still sitting on the wet ground. A slightly stronger than normal tug from Sasuke was all it took to bring the lighter shinobi into the arms of the darker one as Sasuke gave a sweet kiss to Naruto before the two returned to the village.

Sasuke looked at the lingering rainbow in front of them. "I guess even I got a fresh start from this rain." He whispered to himself as he squeezed Naruto's hand and walked out of the darkness into the light.

(1): this fic was originally written in a strange mix of Japanese and English, so some things got lost in translation. the original sentence was "sasuke-kun ga suki da. daisuki da.", which the very literal translation of is "I like you Sasuke. I really like you.", but it's taken as more expressing feelings of love than like. hence the added "I even think I love you".

Well, it definitely turned out differently from whatI imagined it. Maybe because of the weird language flipping thing, but more in plot. It was supposed to more inspired by the song True Colors, but then it changed so much. You can thank May for that. She's probably my most changing muse. Mii, I'd forgotten how much I love this couple. They're just far too cute. If you liked this, I'm currently working on a set of songfics, SasuNaru style. yay for history class becoming writing class!


End file.
